Tampa Bay Thrives

11/20/2025

Carrie Zeisse, President & CEO of Tampa Bay Thrives, joins Gayle Guyardo, host of Bloom, to explain what wellness rooms are, how they are implemented in the schools, and the benefits they create for students’ mental health.

Watch the full segment, here: https://loom.ly/A4Rc1vg

Carrie Zeisse, President & CEO of Tampa Bay Thrives, joins Gayle Guyardo, host of Bloom, to explain what wellness rooms are, how they are implemented in the schools, and the benefits they create for…

11/19/2025

Thank you to Suncoast Credit Union Foundation for supporting Tampa Bay Thrives' mission to improve mental health outcomes in our community.

This funding allows us to expand upon the success of our Wellness Room programming. Students have expressed firsthand that they want a safe space where they can normalize conversations around mental health.

Tampa Bay Thrives has launched four Wellness Rooms throughout Hillsborough and Pinellas County School Districts, with over 2,000 students immersed in programming that prioritizes wellness like music therapy, sound baths, yoga, and more.

11/14/2025

Give back to Tampa Bay Thrives with Kendra Scott!

Stop by Kendra Scott in Tampa Hyde Park from 11am to 1pm tomorrow, Saturday November 15th or shop online at kendrascott.com November 15th and 16th and 20% of sales will benefit Tampa Bay Thrives!

10/30/2025

Tomorrow is the last day to submit a How I Stay Okay video!

Take up to 90 seconds to share with us what you do to take care of your mental health! It could be watching the sunset, reading a book, spending time with your loved ones, or making a cozy dinner. Once you create the video, simply send it to info@tampabaythrives.org to be entered in the contest - you could win up to $250!

Submissions close at 11:59pm on October 31st, and winners will be announced in November. Top 3 videos will receive a cash prize!

10/22/2025

"Brandon High School Principal Allison Wright said the initiative is most impactful for high school students due to the outside pressures they face in day-to-day lives — from college applications to social media. It also allows students to learn coping mechanisms before leaving high school and going out “into the real world as adults,” Wright said. “The sooner we can help them learn it in high school, the better they can perform and achieve. Then, the better adults they'll be,” she said."

Read the article about Tampa Bay Thrives' Wellness Rooms, here: https://loom.ly/wgh5b4I

Creating an on-campus room that doesn’t feel like it belongs in a school may seem counterproductive –– but that’s exactly what school leaders hope to accomplish.

10/20/2025

Tell us in 90 seconds or less how you take care of your mental health and you could win up to $250!

Taking care of your mental health can be a daily meditation routine, journaling your feelings, taking a walk in nature, or spending quality time with friends!

Help be a part of the conversation around how we can stay okay, submit a video by October 31st to be entered in our contest!

10/17/2025

At this year's Florida Blue Strike the Stigma Symposium students from Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco County Schools participated in a Tampa Bay Thrives 'Think Tank' to contribute to the creation of our school wellness kits and give feedback as we develop a tool for students made by students!

The students were assigned one station with an activity that would be included in the wellness kits, and after going through the activity, the students gave feedback on how the activity made them feel, where they feel the wellness kits would work best, and how it the kits should be packaged to appeal to their peers.

Thank you to Phil Lee, Tampa Bay Thrives Board member and Florida Blue Market President, for including us in a powerful mission-driven day!

10/10/2025

💚 On World Mental Health Day, we celebrate how our community comes together year-round to support mental health and create real change. To honor this, we’re launching our 2024 Impact Report, highlighting the and How I Stay Okay campaigns that break stigma, and showcasing our youth wellness rooms that help students thrive. Together, we’re making mental health a priority every day.

Read Tampa Bay Thrives' 2024 Impact Report, here: https://loom.ly/mu_yemU

10/09/2025

How do you stay okay? Tampa Bay Thrives committee member, Peter Mittica, says he stays okay by always giving himself something to look forward to!

The How I Stay Okay video contest is your chance to share what you do in your life to take care of your mental wellbeing! A video like Peter's is the perfect example of how reframing your feelings can help manage your mental health, even through small gestures like looking forward to a comforting dinner!

You can submit a How I Stay Okay video for the contest until October 31st! Just record a video, 90 seconds or less, sharing your method to wellness and send it over to info@tampabaythrives.org! The top 3 videos will win a cash prize up to $250!

10/07/2025

What is a Tampa Bay Thrives wellness room? It's a space designed to give students a break from the pressures of the day while teaching them healthy ways to handle stress and emotions. From calming activities like yoga or art to guided conversations that build coping skills, the rooms help kids walk back into class feeling more focused, balanced, and ready to learn.

At last weeks A Night to Thrive event, Tampa Bay Thrives and King High School welcomed several members of the community to the wellness room: The Oasis. Through testimonials from the school principal and students who have been immersed in wellness room activities, we were able to share how impactful the room is students and throughout the entire school's culture.

10/03/2025

Last week, Tampa Bay Thrives got the exciting opportunity to highlight our efforts to end the stigma against mental health with the campaign on Fox 13 Tampa Bay with Jen Epstein!

September was National Recovery Month, and our campaign highlighted the stories of three resilient Tampa Bay community members. You can watch the segment here: https://loom.ly/XvdaFYE

IFKYK (If You Know You Know) is more than just a popular saying, it’s a movement in which people throughout the Bay Area are sharing their mental health struggles and journey through recovery.

09/30/2025

It takes time to learn how you stay okay! That's why we are extending the deadline for our How I Stay Okay video contest!

Submit a video sharing how you take care of your mental health by October 31st and be entered to win up to $250!

For some, taking care of your mental health means making a comfort meal at the end of the day to unwind, going for a long midday walk, or starting your day by journaling your goals and feelings! Whatever it is that helps you take care of your mental health, we want to hear about it!

Help break the stigma! Send your video submissions to info@tampabaythrives.org to be entered in the contest!